The wheels on Toshiba-powered buses will go round and round thanks to a next-gen battery that improves on its cutting-edge tech.
The SCiB lithium-ion power pack can charge up to 80% in about 10 minutes or less and has a long lifespan. This helps to reduce the number of electric buses required in fleets and ultimately cuts operational costs. Part of the reason is that fewer batteries are needed to power each bus, all per Toshiba.
The latest version adds niobium titanium oxide to the anode. Interesting Engineering reported that it has "twice the theoretical volume density" of typical graphite anodes. Lithium ions move between an anode and a cathode through a substance called an electrolyte as the pack operates, the Australian Academy of Science explains.
Toshiba is working with Sojitz of Japan and CBMM of Brazil to bring SCiB-powered buses to market. The companies recently unveiled a prototype — a world's first, per IE.
"I am very pleased to see an E-bus equipped with our … battery," Toshiba battery division vice president Toshihiko Takaoka said in the story. It "recharges quickly and delivers high energy density."
The improved charge time can cut the number of buses needed in fleets from six to four while still having three out on routes, in an example scenario from Toshiba. Since typical batteries require much longer recharge times, garages can quickly fill with plugged-in buses, while SCiB can put them back on the road with exceptional speed.
In that scenario, the company explains that SCiB buses will charge in minutes every hour, while typical buses need four hours to charge, resulting in four hours of run time. SCiB results in a smooth, fast transition from road to charger and back again.
"The short charge time increases the operational efficiency of the buses, resulting in a smaller number of buses," per the company.
Another perk is increased passenger space, thanks to only needing one SCiB. Conventional electric buses require multiple power packs, taking up more room that could be used by riders. The overall bus weight also lessens as a result, improving efficiency, according to Toshiba.
The development could help to provide great cost-savings for cities and schools. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses Denver as an example. There are 400 school buses in Colorado's capital. If half were switched from diesel to batteries, the fleet would save $461,000 in fuel costs a year, preventing 1,700 tons of heat-trapping exhaust from hitting the air.
"The emissions benefit would be equivalent to taking 370 passenger cars off the road for a year," according to the report.
What's more, better battery tech like the Toshiba innovation is bringing EV costs down. Government programs and tax incentives are also available to help reduce the price of electric buses and passenger cars.
For SCiB's part, its creators tout a wide operating temperature range of minus 22-degrees to 140-degrees Fahrenheit, making it operable in Denver, Tokyo, and points in between, IE reported.
Toshiba plans to launch its latest power pack this spring.
"We will continue the development work to expand our SCiB battery lineup and business," Takaoka said in the IE story.
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